What’s Hot: Premium look and classy cabin, advanced driver aids, efficient engines.What’s Not:Reduced interior space. (Yep, that's all.)X-FACTOR: A new level of refinement and technology for the segment will make the new 2 a hard one to ignore.

It’s a promising looking thing. There’s a new design, new platform, new engines and new transmissions.

Mazda says all of this makes the new hatch a more refined and compelling product. To prove it, the Japanese carmaker invited TMR to Mazda's homeland to taste the new 2 for ourselves.

THE INTERIOR

Full Australian specifications are still to be confirmed, but this week’s high-grade testers were equipped with Mazda’s new MZD Connect infotainment system that includes a full-colour seven-inch touchscreen display with sat-nav and a rotary dial controller in the centre console.

Refinement. That’s the key word here, because this new 2’s cabin is a far more refined space than the lunchbox plastics and basic trim of the model we’ll soon wave goodbye to.

On the design front, much from the Hazumi concept’s streamlined and premium-looking cabin has translated into production.

The neatly divided dash both emulates and evolves the design of the concept's cockpit. The screen display sits proud above a compact centre console and the space behind the steering wheel is dominated by the bold instrument cluster and jet fighter-inspired head-up display (seen also in the Mazda3).

The up-spec model we drove in Japan also featured a liberal splash of chrome highlights, and a nicely wrapped-and-stitched finish to key surfaces.

For styling and feel, this car feels a clear step above a pejorative ‘volume seller’ categorisation.

This new 2 is also noteably larger than its predecessor: overall length is up 160mm to 4060mm, and the wheelbase has been stretched to 2570mm - an 80mm increase.

And, while width remains unchanged at 1695mm, height has grown by 25mm to 1500mm.

Interestingly, this growth hasn’t translated as plainly to the cabin, where there’s 20mm and 15mm less headroom in the front and rear respectively.

Front and rear legroom has also shrunk by 5mm and 4mm, and while shoulder room in the front has grown by 11mm, it’s also down a significant 30mm in the rear.

Our brief impression is that these deductions appear to have had no obvious impact on interior comfort, thanks perhaps to an increase in ‘visual’ space.

There’s a larger windscreen, relocated door mirrors and thinner new A-pillars that sit 100mm further forward, all working to produce a more spacious feel.

Comfort is further improved by, at long last, the addition of reach adjustment for the steering wheel - 50mm in total, with a 50mm tilt range.

Of course, it will take a full review and a full load of passengers to draw a decent picture of its real-world interior comfort and cosiness.

One very significant debit is in rear cargo space, with the new model reduced to 220 litres (seats up and tonneau cover closed, measured to VDA standard) compared to 250 litres in the current model.

That puts the new 2 even further behind its already capacious rivals, which include the Fiesta and its 281 litre litre rear, through to the Honda Jazz’s 350 litres.

Our test in Japan saw us knock out a handful of laps around Japan’s Tokachi racing circuit, located on the northernmost island of Mazda’s homeland, Hokkaido.

While not a full, on-road, real-world test, this trip gave the media its best look yet at the new Mazda2 in a specification not far off what we’ll see in Australia.

Tuned to a ‘rest of the world’ steering and chassis setup, these pre-production hatches nonetheless offered a promising preview of what’s to come.

All of the Mazda2 cars available on the day were driven by the more powerful version of the two engines we’ll see in Australia, although also tuned to suit overseas markets.

In Australia, that engine, the 1.5 litre four-cylinder ‘F-P5’, will offer 81kW and 141Nm of torque, tuned for regular unleaded. In this week’s tested form, tuned for 95RON fuel, the small engine turned out a few extra kilowatts and Newtons.

Fuel use for the new engine - or for its slightly less-powerful and advanced ‘V-P5’ sibling - is still to be revealed, although Mazda says that depending on the specification, it has achieved overall fuel consumption improvements “of up to 25 percent”.

Also contributing to the improved fuel consumption is the new and more compact SkyActiv-Drive six-speed auto - the only transmission available for this review. Mazda claims fuel savings of up to six percent from this high efficincy unit.

Strapping in and powering out of the pits, it’s immediately evident that this new 2 is a good thing.

It’s no racer, and nor should it be, but just like its predecessor it is a surprisingly nimble and sure-footed player.

This writer is not the lightest unit in the game, but the new 2’s small 1.5 litre engine and six-speed auto was plainly unperturbed.

Thrumming away under the bonnet, the small four-cylinder proved willing and responsive, with a smooth power delivery right through the rev-range.

Torque is where the new engine impresses most. Although turning out just a few more Newtons than we’ll see in Australian models, it is clear that the increased torque - up from 135Nm - has made a small but noteable difference to the 2’s get-up-and-go.

Likewise, the new six-speed auto, which replaces the four-speed in the outgoing generation, is a slick unit.

Programmed to get the best out of the engine's torque and power, the new auto is responsive and smooth-shifting. Small autos have improved out of sight in recent years, and this is one of the better ones. It's alert, free of hunting and seemed to always put the right gear underfoot.

It’s also programmed for light fuel-use and a life of economical commuting (but hard to accurately test on a racing circuit).

Flicking the new 2 to sports mode, however, gives the little hatch surprising verve, with torque response and gear shifts sharpened noticeably - particularly with the up-spec paddle shifters in play.

It’s not as slick as a dual-clutch, but can still deliver quick changes and will happily change down at higher revs if you're giving things a serious push.

Like its larger 3 stablemate, the new 2 is built on Mazda’s SkyActiv architecture, and the improvements to vehicle dynamics are clear.

Hokkaido turned on the water works for our short test, but the light hatch was mostly untroubled on its Singapore-spec Toyo tyres. (Australian rubber is still to be confirmed, but Mazda tells us it will be a similar experience.)

Like most in the segment, the new 2 gets MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam set-up at the rear.

Mazda appears to have ‘sacrificed’ some of the previous 2’s suspension tautness in favour of comfort - in fact, its engineers have admitted to as much - with the new model showing more body-roll through turns.

Steering - electrically-assisted rack and pinion - feels light but solid, with a consistent on-centre feel and a linear increase in 'weight' as you turn the wheel.

Mazda tells us that Australia will get a tune more in line with the European range, which means slightly stiffer suspension and steering.

But, on the basis of this test, this car feels right. It’s a good compromise between comfortable commuting and spirited sportiness, and that’s as it should be for a light hatch.

Importantly, the new 2 also appears to be quieter on road and with less intrusion of road noise than the new 3 (but it will take a proper drive on open Australian roads to prove that).

SAFETY

The new 2’s full feature set is still to be confirmed, but its advanced safety tech includes blindspot monitoring, lane departure warning, radar cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high-beam lights.

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TMR Comments

JUST THE FACTS | 20 Aug 2014 02:52

"Mazda you should see us now" tm.MazdaUsa :)
WOW, i am proud that Mazda went for a bang up to date design [the interior is A1] at the expense of a wee bit bigger room, very Italian of them :D
This is the powertrain for the coming CX3 SUV [our next family truckster?], doing well at Mazda considering they are a tiny company in the scheme of things...

Do I see a head up display in image 9?
Nice if it ends up part of the Oz spec as it does on the SP25 Mazda 3 models
I guess we'll know if it as good as it seems to be when the final spec and road test happen on our home soil but on the face of it looks like a cracker.
Also good to see a concept translating into something still recognizable in production form. Subaru - learning anything yet???:p

Jeff | 20 Aug 2014 03:33

Why such measly engine outputs in 2014? Why is it the Kia Rio can offer a 103kw/170nm offering but Mazda cannot?
Also 220L rear boot is quite frankly a joke compared to the rest of the rivals (bar the Swift, which is equally as poor)

JUST THE FACTS Jeff | 20 Aug 2014 03:47

Why such measly engine outputs in 2014? Why is it the Kia Rio can offer a 103kw/170nm offering but Mazda cannot?
Also 220L rear boot is quite frankly a joke compared to the rest of the rivals (bar the Swift, which is equally as poor)

Yeah should have 637kW, and do 346km/h
Its a COMPACT car, 220L is more than ample
WHO would want to be seen in a korean car :)

MotorMouth JUST THE FACTS | 20 Aug 2014 04:29

Well, given a choice between being seen in a Korean car and a Thai car, where all Australia bound Mazda2s will comes from, I think I'd take Korean. And Jeff is spot-on - 140Nm, in particular, is way off the pace, especially given that the 167Nm in my Rio isn't nearly enough already (hence my 10+ l/100km average fuel economy).

Jeff | 20 Aug 2014 05:20

Agreed. The low torque is the real pincher since this is what essentially 'moves' you along day to day. I can't see how this engine is going to be frugal given you will rely on giving it a bootful of revs in order to keep up with city traffic.
Regarding the Rio fuel economy, are you calculating this using a spreadsheet/app? Don't rely on the trip computer readout because its not very accurate in the Rio due to the way it reads the injector pulse. Calculating the readout based upon actual usage (how much fuel is going in) versus KM travelled is showing a 2l/100km difference for us. Driving style is also important, I shift below 2000rpm where possible now that ours is run-in and low RPM acceleration is much better. Every so often I ring its neck though, helps stop build up of carbon due to the direct injection

MotorMouth Jeff | 20 Aug 2014 06:34

Jeff, that's lovely but I don't care even a little bit about fuel economy so I'm more than happy to believe what the trip computer tells me. I rarely shift from first to second below 5000rpm if I can help it and I try to redline it at least once every day. I also try not to let the revs get much below 2000, as I don't want the engine labouring (which is far worse for it than anything).

Heinz | 20 Aug 2014 10:30

I rarely shift from first to second below 5000rpm if I can help it and I try to redline it at least once every day. I also try not to let the revs get much below 2000

You might want a different car, and don't tell a potential buyer what you are doing to your engine. ;-)

MotorMouth Heinz | 21 Aug 2014 00:38

Fred, it may surprise you to learn that engines are designed to work with lots of revs. As I said, you can do a lot more damage by making the engine labour (not enough revs) than you can ever do by over-revving. Redlining your engine now and then is actually good for it and short-shifting at 5000rpm is not doing anything that it won't handle for decades. Whoever gets my car after me gets an engine that has been treated better than any other. I never drive it cold, I always let it warm up for a full minute in the morning and at 30 seconds after work, and I always go very easy on it until it reaches operating temperature. I even change the oil between warranty services (which Kia allows) so the oil is always in tip-top condition.

MotorMouth JUST THE FACTS | 20 Aug 2014 04:32

I love the interior, although I am still getting used to seeing what looks just like a tablet stuck to the top of the dash. It looks way too much like an afterthought but is clearly a deliberate design decision. It's also set to be the best looking of Mazda's current offerings, with less of the inconsistent lines of the 3 and 6, with more of the purposeful look of the CX5. Still, they'd never get my money with those very poor power/torque figures. I'd never get it out of second.

Jeff JUST THE FACTS | 20 Aug 2014 05:14

No, it is NOT more than ample when the competition provide a better option. The packaging of this Mazda 2 is poor. Poor interior space, accompanied by poor driveline offerings. If Mazda aren't careful, they will find themselves going the way of Honda Australia.

FrugalOne Jeff | 22 Aug 2014 09:40

No, it is NOT more than ample when the competition provide a better option. The packaging of this Mazda 2 is poor. Poor interior space, accompanied by poor driveline offerings. If Mazda aren't careful, they will find themselves going the way of Honda Australia.

Errrr around #1 sellers in Mazda3 and CX7, strong sales with the BT50, Mazda can do no wrong, punches well above it weight

FrugalOne FrugalOne | 22 Aug 2014 09:41

No, it is NOT more than ample when the competition provide a better option. The packaging of this Mazda 2 is poor. Poor interior space, accompanied by poor driveline offerings. If Mazda aren't careful, they will find themselves going the way of Honda Australia.

Errrr around #1 sellers in Mazda3 and CX7, strong sales with the BT50, Mazda can do no wrong, punches well above it weight

Make that CX5 :-)):-)):-)):-))

matt FrugalOne | 28 Aug 2014 03:44

lol, why on earth has this turned into a kia fan page. the rio's so called "103kw" does not move the car like 103kw should. It drinks fuel like a sailor and, while the newest generation is no doubt the best rio ever, this 2 is just better, it will weigh less than the kia, use less fuel than the kia and size problems? young and old singles and empty nesters or couple with kids out of child seats buy these things. I dont think space is that big of a deal

FrugalOne matt | 19 Oct 2014 09:27

lol, why on earth has this turned into a kia fan page. the rio's so called "103kw" does not move the car like 103kw should. It drinks fuel like a sailor and, while the newest generation is no doubt the best rio ever, this 2 is just better, it will weigh less than the kia, use less fuel than the kia and size problems? young and old singles and empty nesters or couple with kids out of child seats buy these things. I dont think space is that big of a deal

Korean fanbois will hate you for speaking sense and the truth, pity the don't and cannot handle the truth
A GENERATION behind the Japanese...On paper superior pwr/weight babble mean zip

Tapir Jeff | 20 Aug 2014 07:05

Exactly. The old, non-Direct Injection engine in the new Honda Jazz produces more power (88kW) than this, yet there's hardly the same level of venom found here.

Glenn Jeff | 20 Aug 2014 09:57

The Rio doesn't compete with 2. It's in the next size bracket. Drive the two however and the Rio wouldn't come close. The 7 year old current 2 is a good generation or two ahead in engineering as the current Rio.

Balthazaaaaargh Glenn | 20 Aug 2014 10:21

Yea it does mate theyre both light cars. next one up for kia is the cerato which is in the same class as the mazda3
but hey you tried eh

Greg H | 20 Aug 2014 03:48

Agreed about boot space, but other than that it looks like a terrific vehicle...they'll sell a heap of these.

Fortunately for the makers of small cars not everyone is a petrol head that needs sub 6 sec 0-100 times. For an around the 'burbs commuter for the second car, first car for young singles or whatever I reckon it's going to put up a good fight for No.1 in it's class.
If you want to race everyone at the lights, take the 3 kids on holidays halfway across the country or pile $400 of weekly groceries into the back then it's the poor choice of the buyer rather than shortcomings of the car. It's a refreshing change to have something that is arguably this stylish and not a poverty pack strip down with compromises in safety and comfort.

Hardly "a refreshing change" when you have been able to get a Rio SLS for the past several years with leather seats, DRLs, cornering lamps, LED tail lights, climate control, keyless entry with push-button start, all the USB/Bluetooth stuff, 17" alloys with brilliant tyres and a much better 1.6 direct-injection engine, all for $19,990. I'd say it's Mazda finally making an effort to catch up to what the Koreans have been doing for a while now.

Fortunately for the makers of small cars not everyone is a petrol head that needs sub 6 sec 0-100 times. For an around the 'burbs commuter for the second car, first car for young singles or whatever I reckon it's going to put up a good fight for No.1 in it's class.
If you want to race everyone at the lights, take the 3 kids on holidays halfway across the country or pile $400 of weekly groceries into the back then it's the poor choice of the buyer rather than shortcomings of the car. It's a refreshing change to have something that is arguably this stylish and not a poverty pack strip down with compromises in safety and comfort.

+1.....AMEN
Want some thing bigger, buy a MAZDA3, solved!!

TheHeathen | 20 Aug 2014 07:59

They forgot one detail on the interior...the AUDI badge :roll eyes: even down to the knee kickers on the sides of the centre console.
When will these guys get some originality? Upscale pretensions don't HAVE to mean copying the Germans....

MotorMouth TheHeathen | 21 Aug 2014 00:41

What? I'm sorry but I don't see the tiniest resemblance to any Audi interior here. Most cars have those kicker panels on the centre console. Next you'll be complaining that they copied Cadillac's pedal layout.

TheHeathen | 21 Aug 2014 01:04

Really?? Those Mazda sunnies must be really dark.... compare with TMR's own pics...
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/gallery/4709/2012-audi-a1-sport-14-tfsi-sportback-review-gallery/66613/2012audia1sportback14tfsireview07
Let's see if they left anything out:
Pop-up screen in centre of dash...check!
Circular vents...check!
Sweeping aerofoil shaped dash...check!
Three circular controls underneath...check!
Big curved swoop running from doors across the dash (like the bigger Audis)...check!
Door buttons arranged in same sequence...check!
Need more?
The current 2 doesn't have the console kicker panels.

Steve | 20 Aug 2014 10:03

:)Wow will give the light car contenders some competition here !

Kermit Steve | 20 Aug 2014 13:37

No chance. Polo and Clio are light years ahead of anything else. They have torque for a start, are better finished and appeal to a larger audience than 17-22 year old females. Both offer genuine hot hatch variants too.

Nightshader Kermit | 21 Aug 2014 03:37

That must explain why they sell so many in comparison to the ageing current Mazda 2... oh wait

MightyFour | 21 Aug 2014 13:50

What I'm waiting for is an SP20 version or... *fingers crossed for an MPS!!
Bring it Mazda you know you want to! :-))

ron bowerman | 13 Sep 2014 22:33

why do car makers make a small car bigger and bigger ?? the front looks way to long and the grill to large and heavy the back of the car needs changing why didnt they mazda just put the 5 speed auto in the older model ??? honda done the same with the civic now its bigger than ford or holden.:(:(

Balthazaaaaargh ron bowerman | 14 Sep 2014 02:58

Car dimensions are usually dictated by market forces and feedback. Blame consumers if cars are getting bigger, because dealers are always hearing "great car, but would have loved a little more legroom/headroom/boot-space..."